An early morning Bremerton house fire sent the lone male resident to the hospital with smoke inhalation and burns to his legs on Sunday.

“It appears that he left food on the stove and forget about it, went back to sleep and awoke to a house full of flames,” Bremerton Fire Chief Al Duke said.

Duke said that the man was transported to nearby Harrison Hospital where he was treated for burns and smoke inhalation and later released.

Firefighters were called to 806 Cherry Court by a person leaving nearby Harrison Hospital who reported that the small home was completely engulfed in flames. The roughly 1,500-square-foot residence sits nearby to the Alfatooni medical clinic and was being rented by a family member.

Duke said that when firefighters first arrived, they took a defensive posture due to the nature of the flames and because a power line leading from the home had caught fire and presented a unique hazard. As more units arrived, firefighters took an offensive approach to the blaze.

“It’s not a very big house, so it got knocked down pretty quick,” Duke said.

The home’s kitchen and family room were a complete loss, but Duke said an estimate for the costs of damages is not available. The entire home will likely have to be torn down, he added.

The Bremerton Fire Department sent all three of its engines to the fire and its three medic units. Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue also sent an engine. In all, some 18 firefighters and EMTs responded to the blaze.